Magellan Global Quarterly Update

Magellan Asset Management

January 2025

Arvid Streimann explores significant market trends and explains how the global strategy is set to take advantage of new opportunities while keeping an eye on potential risks. Arvid also talks about the recent adjustment to the portfolio's maximum cash level and comments on the market impact following Trump's election.

Funds operated by this manager:

Magellan Global Fund (Hedged), Magellan Core Infrastructure Fund, Magellan Global Fund (Open Class Units) ASX:MGOC, Magellan High Conviction Fund, Magellan Infrastructure Fund, Magellan Infrastructure Fund (Unhedged)

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Important Information: This material has been delivered to you by Magellan Asset Management Limited ABN 31 120 593 946 AFS Licence No. 304 301 ('Magellan') and has been prepared for general information purposes only and must not be construed as investment advice or as an investment recommendation.  This material does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs. This material does not constitute an offer or inducement to engage in an investment activity nor does it form part of any offer documentation, offer or invitation to purchase, sell or subscribe for interests in any type of investment product or service. You should obtain and consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement ('PDS') and Target Market Determination ('TMD') and consider obtaining professional investment advice tailored to your specific circumstances before making a decision about whether to acquire, or continue to hold, the relevant financial product. A copy of the relevant PDS and TMD relating to a Magellan financial product may be obtained by calling +61 2 9235 4888 or by visiting www.magellangroup.com.au.

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Hedge Clippings | 21 February 2025

This week's rate cut will forever show the market consensus was correct, however all the comments coming from the RBA, both in their official post meeting media release, and in interviews and comments since, suggest it was a close run thing. As Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser said on Bloomberg TV, while there was a clear-cut consensus among the board members, the decision was by no means clear-cut, and neither was the decision.

While there was plenty of reasoning given in the RBA's media statement, it could easily be boiled down to the three paragraph headings it contained: Underlying inflation is moderating; The outlook remains uncertain, and Sustainably returning inflation to target is the priority.

Hauser's comments were as usual clear, and well delivered. To summarise, more data is required, and as the RBA focuses on quarterly rather than monthly inflation numbers, don't expect a further cut on April 1 following the board's next meeting.

Hauser noted that he doesn't have the confidence that the market's consensus (for further multiple cuts) is correct, noting that "global uncertainty" (shorthand we assume for whatever Trump may do next) may impact the local economy, and therefore the board's rate cut may have helped reduce some resulting consumer uncertainty.

It is worth noting however, as pointed out by PinPoint Analytics' Michael Blythe, what historically happens following the start of the easing cycle - assuming there are follow-on cuts eventually, as there have been over the past six easing cycles:

• Once a rate-cut cycle is under way, most of the action occurs in the first 12 months.
• The "typical" reduction in the cash rate during Year 1 sits in a 1-2% range.

PinPoint's analysis goes on to show that during the first year of an easing cycle, and as cuts work their way through the economy, the following typically occur:

• GDP growth typically accelerates, driven by the consumer and residential construction;
• but unemployment rises for a while;
• rate cuts are rarely followed by spikes in consumer or business confidence;
• inflation rates lift - but the acceleration in the more recent easing cycles is quite modest;
• house price growth accelerates;
• more often than not, share prices, 10-year bond yields and the AUD fall.

Full details and Pinpoint's Chart pack can be accessed here.

While there's plenty of historical data to rely on when trying to predict the future of the economy, doing so accurately is fraught with danger - or at least mistakes. If that's the case with economics, what hope does anyone have of being able to guess the next iteration of whatever policy decision, claim or social media post coming from Donald Trump will have?

Trump's claim this week that Ukraine started the war with Russia, or that Zelensky is a dictator with only a 4% approval rating (actually 57%) is, to say the least, bizarre. However, that probably sums up Hauser's reference to "global uncertainty".

With allies like that, who needs enemies?

News & Insights

2024 Year in Review | FundMonitors.com

What happens after the first RBA rate cut? | PinPoint Macro Analytics

Investment Perspectives: The investment case for Safehold | Quay Global Investors

Magellan Global Quarterly Update | Magellan Asset Management

January 2025 Performance News

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Michael Steele: Cyclical small caps poised for comeback

Yarra Capital Management

February 2025

Funds operated by this manager:

Trump effect, policy uncertainty and government spending -

Key themes for bond markets in 2025

JCB Jamieson Coote Bonds

January 2025

Funds operated by this manager:

CC Jamieson Coote Bonds Active Bond Fund (Class A), CC Jamieson Coote Bonds Dynamic Alpha Fund, CC Jamieson Coote Bonds Global Bond Fund (Class A - Hedged)

Inflation data 'good news' for the RBA

Pendal

January 2025

AUSTRALIA'S latest quarterly inflation figures offer good news to both the Reserve Bank and the Albanese government.

Headline CPI came in at 0.2% for the quarter, now 2.4% year-on-year (yoy). Trimmed mean inflation, our version of underlying inflation, came in at 0.5% and 3.2% yoy.

In November, the RBA had forecast inflation at 2.6% and trimmed mean at 3.4% for the end of 2024, so these numbers are a 0.2% improvement on recent expectations.

More important, though, is the significant improvement in several key areas that show it is not just a story of government subsidies artificially lowering inflation. Subsidies directly likely only kept trimmed mean inflation around 0.1% lower as the large falls are trimmed away.

New dwelling costs were one of the poster children for runaway inflation through the pandemic. Labour shortages and massive homebuilder subsidies saw 10% annual growth for several years.

Prices have now plateaued and even slightly fell in the quarter, as it has shifted from a sellers' market to a buyers' market. These constitute 8% of the CPI basket so they can make a big difference.

The other key area of housing is rents, which are 6% of the CPI basket. These went up only 0.6% on the quarter and were dampened by a 10% increase in rental assistance to the 1.5 million people who receive it.

Nevertheless, the underlying pulse for rents is now heading nearer 5% than the 8-10% of the past few years. These two key areas are partly behind services inflation, falling from 4.6% to 4.3%.

If services (two-thirds of CPI) can settle around 4% with goods prices (one-third of CPI) nearer 1%, then the RBA should be more confident of medium-term inflation being within its 2-3% target, albeit more at the top end of its range.

Finally, as you would expect with falling inflation, the number of components rising faster than 3% is now down to 37% from around 85% in late 2022.

This graph, courtesy of NAB, shows that only 42% of items are over 2.5%. This is not weighted, but speaks to the breadth (also called diffusion) of price disinflation.

  

All this leaves the door very wide open for an RBA cut in February. The market is now 90% priced and has another rate cut priced by May and a third by August.

We agree with the first two, but caution against pricing too many more beyond that.

Inflation will push back nearer 0.7% in Q1 CPI, due in late April. However, large government spending here, both Federal and State, will continue to keep a solid footing under growth and employment.

The RBA will need to do a twist around its estimate of full employment.

Its rates-on-hold narrative was based on excess demand versus supply in employment markets, given the 4% unemployment rate. Its estimate for full employment, where demand and supply are in balance, was nearer 4.5%.

However, with wage growth moderating to 3.5%, it points to full employment being nearer the current levels of 4%. Expect some commentary on this.

We continue to favour steeper curves and modest overweight duration positions, focusing on one to three-year part of the government yield curve as we expect both short-term bond yields to fall, while longer-end bond yields may rise or stay the same.

If not for the high level of uncertainty out of the US, our long duration views would be more confident.

Perhaps the biggest sigh of relief on the release of today's numbers will have come out of Canberra.

A pre-election rate cut, possibly even two, would be welcomed by young people living in the mortgage belts, and often swing seats, of Australia.

In what is shaping up as a close election, any good news on the cost of living will be grabbed by Albanese and Chalmers.

Author: Tim Hext

Funds operated by this manager:

 This information has been prepared by Pendal Fund Services Limited (PFSL) ABN 13 161 249 332, AFSL No 431426 and is current as at December 8, 2021. PFSL is the responsible entity and issuer of units in the Pendal Multi-Asset Target Return Fund (Fund) ARSN: 623 987 968. A product disclosure statement (PDS) is available for the Fund and can be obtained by calling 1300 346 821 or visiting www.pendalgroup.com. The Target Market Determination (TMD) for the Fund is available at www.pendalgroup.com/ddo. You should obtain and consider the PDS and the TMD before deciding whether to acquire, continue to hold or dispose of units in the Fund. An investment in the Fund or any of the funds referred to in this web page is subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment of withdrawal proceeds and loss of income and principal invested. This information is for general purposes only, should not be considered as a comprehensive statement on any matter and should not be relied upon as such. It has been prepared without taking into account any recipient's personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of this, recipients should, before acting on this information, consider its appropriateness having regard to their individual objectives, financial situation and needs. This information is not to be regarded as a securities recommendation. The information may contain material provided by third parties, is given in good faith and has been derived from sources believed to be accurate as at its issue date. While such material is published with necessary permission, and while all reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information is complete and correct, to the maximum extent permitted by law neither PFSL nor any company in the Pendal group accepts any responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of this information. Performance figures are calculated in accordance with the Financial Services Council (FSC) standards. Performance data (post-fee) assumes reinvestment of distributions and is calculated using exit prices, net of management costs. Performance data (pre-fee) is calculated by adding back management costs to the post-fee performance. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Any projections are predictive only and should not be relied upon when making an investment decision or recommendation. Whilst we have used every effort to ensure that the assumptions on which the projections are based are reasonable, the projections may be based on incorrect assumptions or may not take into account known or unknown risks and uncertainties. The actual results may differ materially from these projections. For more information, please call Customer Relations on 1300 346 821 8am to 6pm (Sydney time) or visit our website www.pendalgroup.com